Crouse Health will become the naming sponsor of Onondaga County's new aquarium under a three-year, $1.5 million agreement announced Thursday by County Executive J. Ryan McMahon II.
The Crouse Health Harborview Aquarium is expected to open soon along Syracuse's lakefront and feature more than 200 species from marine, freshwater and coastal habitats. County officials said the facility is projected to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
The aquarium's central exhibit will be a 360-degree Harbor Tunnel showcasing aquatic life from local waters and habitats around the world. Plans also call for touch tanks, interactive science, technology, engineering and math exhibits, and conservation-focused educational programs.
The facility will use advanced water-filtration and energy-efficient systems, according to the county's announcement.
Officials said Crouse Health will also work with the aquarium, the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science and Technology and the Rosamond Gifford Zoo on educational programs connecting human health, animal welfare and environmental sustainability.
The sponsorship gives the aquarium its official name as construction moves toward completion. An exact public opening date was not included in Thursday's announcement.
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